Geronimo!
by knoodelhed
Summary: (1 of 1 complete) Otto hit it big with the first media incentive from one of his sponsors and just in time for him to plan something really special for Twister's 18th. Happy landings!


Geronimo! by Scott Sanchez   


* * *

  
(A/N: Unknown what months the boys were born in. Is Twister the youngest?) 

Otto had gotten his first incentive check from his clothing sponsor for some video footage Twister had taken of him in action, which had made it into _Maximum Exposure_ and a couple of similar shows. He was in an exceptionally good mood for someone normally in a good mood. He knew that Twister's eighteenth birthday would be coming up the next week on Saturday, so he thought for a while about something special to do for his best friend. The hard part of it was, they had done so many neat, crazy, and interesting things together over the years that it was hard for Otto think of something new. So after researching on the internet for more ideas, Otto decided on his best idea and got in touch with his friend Jim, who ran a parachute school. 

Otto got a reply from Jim the next day. _We might get kind of busy Saturday,_ the email read, _but if you and your friend can get out to Perris bright and early that morning, we'll be able to squeeze you in._

Stoked! 

* * *

Later during the week, Reggie and Sam were playing a game of chess while lunching at the Shore Shack as Otto trotted up from the beach, dripping wet. "Hi guys," Otto salutationed. Then, a little quieter, he asked, "I'm planning a little... _secret mission_ Saturday morning for Twister's birthday. Can I count you in?" 

Reg's eyebrows hiked up a notch. "Hm, Otto, turns out we have..." 

Sam interrupted, "...plans that morning. But there's a party later in the day." 

Otto thought something was up but he decided to play along. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, patting both on the shoulder. "By the way, Squid, I wouldn't go there," he observed, pointing at an empty spot. "Her next move'll put you in check." Reg gave her brother a playful whack on the bottom. All laughed. Sam moved his pawn, and Reg countered all too quickly, only to leave her starboard bishop out in the open. Otto left with no comment other than a chuckle. 

* * *

Early early Saturday morning (or late late Friday night) while it was still dark and cool out, Otto got up to find his house deserted. Neither Reggie nor Raymundo were about. Otto stepped out, got in his Tacoma, and cruised by the Dullards' house. The driveway was empty. Then he pulled up outside the Rodriguezs' house. Lars was away, and Raúl and Sandy's Pontiac sat alone in the driveway. Not wanting to wake anybody else with his horn or the doorbell, he nexteled Twister. After several rings he could hear from outside, Twister picked up the call. _"Hello?"_ he answered in a still-sleepy voice. 

"It's me, dude. We got places to go this morning. I wrote it down for you, remember? Zero four thirty--4:30 Saturday morning." 

_"You did?"_ Twister responded. _"Oh yeah..."_

"Let's take this one step at a time, shall we," Otto said with a note of exasperation. Now sounding something like Anthony Hopkins, he continued, with unusual calmness: "I want you to go to the bathroom and then get dressed. How you look will not be important. Bring your helmet, your snow goggles, and your skate gloves. Your camera can stay. (Now speaking normally) Breakfast will be on me, birthday boy!"__

_"Okay bro. I'll be right there,"_ was all Twister said before he hung up. 

Within ten minutes Twister was out the door and had gotten into Otto's car. "Glad you could make it," he greeted Twister. He handed him a grape Freezie Freeze. Twist had dozed off by the time Otto found the I-10. But like anybody with plenty of experience traveling as a passenger by car, he woke up the moment Otto pulled off into a Coco's (good place to go for breakfast in California) as the sun was rising. 

A waitress showed them to a table and gave them menus. "So we're heading inland," Twister observed, bubbling with curiosity. "What's on the agenda today? Paintball fights? Motorcycle lessons? Rock climbing?" 

Otto, saying nothing, just smiled as he handed his friend a largish white envelope. Twister opened it and pulled out a birthday card with a picture of an alien robot cartoon character floating to the ground by parachute, and instantly smiled. When he opened it up to read the printed text and the signature, Twister let out a "Wow!" when he saw on a separate sheet of paper the printout of the jump reservation Otto had made for them. "Dude, I've wanted to do that for so long! How did you guess? How can I thank you?" 

"By continuing to be the good friend I've had for the past fifteen years, and by finishing your breakfast," Otto answered with a grin as he assaulted his Belgian waffle between gulps of orange juice. "It was a lucky guess. I just started thinking about stuff we _haven't_ done... with the constraints of time, money, and skill anyway, climbing Mount Everest or diving the wreck of the _Lusitania_ was pretty much out of the question." 

Twister swallowed a bite of his bacon and eggs before responding, "For now. I think they'll be around for a while yet." Grinning, he lifted his o.j. and clinked Otto's uplifted glass. _"Viva la compagnie!"_

* * *

Jim explained the options available, and this being both Otto's and Twister's first jump, and not wanting to use the tandem option, they agreed to go with the static line option. _(A/N: Like in the old war movies, a jumper hooks his ripcord into a static line and this deploys his parachute automatically when he's clear of the aircraft.)_ They went through a few hours of briefing and practical demonstrations on the ground. Then it was time to get outfitted. A full figured matron led Otto and Twister to a table where she handed them each a jumpsuit. "Put these on over your clothes," she instructed. They were a little big and baggy on them. "But that's okay," she answered before they could ask. The attendant took two parachute rigs from an equipment room and helped them strap into them. Then Jim came along, now also wearing a parachute as well, and he checked Otto's and Twister's rigs. "Everything looks good," Jim declared. "I think it's time for us to get airborne." 

Twister was briefly intrigued by the camera Jim wore on his helmet. "I do video work too! Interesting system you got there." Jim briefly answered that the camera on one side was balanced by a battery on the other. They came to their aircraft, an open sided single engine Cessna. "Watch your step getting inside, guys," he cautioned. Once they were seated in the back, he snapped their hooks onto the static line. 

A fourth person arrived, the pilot. He checked the plane, got in, and started her up. "Jim, I guess what bothers some people is the noise and the wind," Otto observed to Jim over the intercom. "Ever thought of using a balloon?" he asked as they taxied to the runway. 

"Good question, Otto. Too expensive actually, and not enough control. Even if it was tethered," Jim replied, "you'd need at least 3,000 feet of altitude, and that's an awful lot of rope. We're going to 5,000 feet and that'll allow a couple of guys like you almost six minutes of travel." 

As the plane took off, Twister was intrigued by how small everything on the ground was getting. But the view up here of the San Bernardino Mountains was fabulous. He could see Big Bear somewhere off in the distance which still had a dusting of white on top of it. 

Within a few momnets, the pilot announced, "We're in the jump area, guys. Happy landings!" 

"Okay to go gentlemen?" Jim asked. 

"The birthday boy first, then me," Otto nodded, slapping Twister on the shoulder. Twister eagerly made his way to the open side and made his exit, giving out a hearty "Geronimo!" Jim and Otto saw his canopy open, then made their jumps. 

* * *

The hardest part on you, Otto thought, was the deployment of the canopy. He compared it to jumping into a pool, fully clothed, off a three-meter springboard. But what was really interesting was how quiet it was once you were away from the aircraft and floating down, suspended hundreds of feet in the sky. He heard Jim's voice in his earplugs. _"Remeber what I told you about the toggles, guys. Come about in a slow circle until you see my blue parachute in front of you and below you."_

_"I gotcha,"_ Twister's voice replied.__

_"Okay, I see you there, Twister, how about you, Otto?"_

"Hang on hang on," Otto replied. "I'm on top of the stable... There! I see you guys now! This view is so cool!"__

_"Okay, you should see a great big target on the ground in front of you and to your left. That's where we're going to be landing,"_ Jim guided.__

_"This is awesome!"_ Twister shouted. Otto could hear Twister's unmistakeable laughter off-intercom. That made him happy. 

* * *

Under Jim's guidance they easily maneuvered across a gentle wind to an on-target landing. High-fives were exchanged, and a couple of onlookers approached carrying a video camera. It was Raúl and Sandy, carrying Twister's video camera, and they had taped the whole thing from the ground. _"Feliz cumpleaños, míjo,"_ they wished him--"Happy birthday, my son." 

"People, we gotta clear the dropzone, there's more jumpers coming down," Jim cautioned. Another three parachutes were coming down, again as before, one blue followed by two yellow ones. 

Otto and Twister looked at each other. _"You're_ not thinking what _I'm_ thinking," they said almost in unison. 

It was another member of the parachute school staff, followed by Reggie and Sam! "Bust!" Sam declared, "Ottoman, I gotta talk to you some time about the subject of 'cookies'." 

"But you and Reg said you'd had plans, and that there was to be a party later--" Otto protested. 

_"This_ was **our** plan!" Reg explained. "And the party is wherever Twister wants it to be!" She came forward and hugged Twister. 

_"And it's on **me!**"_ the other instructor declared, now removing his full-head helmet to reveal his identity - Lars! 

"I gotta thank you, Otto," Lars explained. "I never thought he had it in him. From now on you guys are okay in my book." 

"So _that's_ why you've been away so long!" Otto observed. The older Rodriguez boy had been away, cleaning up his act after a few mistakes too many. The clear desert air and learning new skills had done him good. 

* * *

After everybody got changed out, a stretch limo came and picked up the whole party for a night on the town. 

### 


End file.
